Enjoy the nutritional and financial benefits of the CACFP

Every day, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides nourishing food to more than 4 million kids and nearly 140 thousand adults. The Food Program is supported by the USDA and provides reimbursement for meals and snacks to eligible organizations that serve eligible children and adults.

There are two ways to participate in the CACFP:

Who is eligible?

Here are some of the eligible programs that can participate in the CACFP.

Child Care Center
Child Care Home
Adult Care Center
ARAS/SFSP
Emergency Shelter

Information by the CACFP.

How can I join the Food Program?

You can join the Food Program by finding a sponsor or becoming one.

Find a Sponsor
Become a Sponsor
Why participate in the CACFP?

The goal of the CACFP is to improve and maintain the health and nutrition of children and adults, promote the development of good eating habits, and integrate nutritious food service with organized child and adult care.

Nutritional
Benefits
Financial
Benefits
Economic
Value Benefits
It's no secret that the CACFP is paperwork-heavy, but it doesn't have to be with KidKare.

Our KidKare software solutions are designed to simplify claims processing and maximize reimbursements.

CACFP participants and sponsors will be able to catch errors that they could easily miss if they process claims by hand. Our software runs over 200 edit checks for missing information or compliance problems and sees any errors before you submit your claim.

KidKare is trusted by 75,000 + sponsors, owners, directors, sites, and providers.

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4.7 Start Rating with 522 Reviews

$ 0

Sponsor saved in one year​ using KidKare

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Children served​ on KidKare in 2022

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Healthy meals served ​on KidKare in 2022

For example: Licensed Child Care Homes, Licensed Adult Care Centers, At-Risk After-School Program, Summer Food Service Program, Out-of-School Time Program, Emergency Shelters, Head Start Program.

Solutions:

Enroll Kids
Electronically

Enroll children and capture state-specific income eligibility electronically from parents. No more paper, no more cost of storage, no more missing documents. ​

Track Attendance
& Meals

Take separate attendance and meal counts using any device. Fast, easy, reliable – no training required.​

Food
List

Create menus from a sponsor-controlled food list. Gone are the days of non-creditable food items on menus!​

Submit Claims
Electronically ​

Eliminate late submission - and encourage better record keeping habits from the start.

Find a Sponsor Today

Find a sponsor now and start using our KidKare software for free. To use our software for free, you must join a sponsor already using our KidKare software.

Click your state on the map to learn more about KidKare sponsors in your area. Your sponsor will help you get reimbursed for serving healthy meals.

We are working on updating our KidKare sponsor list.

We have sponsor solutions for multi-sites and single sites (CACFP independent centers).

Solutions:

National & State
Policies

Our software is always up-to-date with ever-changing national and state policies.

We follow all USDA and all state regulations for CACFP.

Electronic Claims
Processing

Run over 200 edit checks for missing information or compliance problems and see any errors before you submit your claim. Finding and fixing errors may result in a higher reimbursement!

Real-Time
Data

Real-time data is at your fingertips 24-7, so you always know where your Food Program operation stands.

Extensive
Reports

You have everything you need to ensure compliance and prepare for audits, thanks to 75 reports and customizable export files.

Our Sponsor solutions for:

Become a Sponsor Today

Click on your state in the map below to learn more about the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in your state.

This is an interactive map! Click on your state in the map below and learn more about the CACFP in your state.

CACFP Testimonials
"
"The CACFP has helped me my program, because I gained new knowledge trought training about how to serve nutritious food and fight childhood obesity. It has also helped families to understand how they could feed their children at home".
Isabel Mauriz Family Childcare Home Provider
"
"We have been in this business 20 years and never did the food program. So what has surprised us is that I was thinking it was this big scary monster, and it really isn't. If you are doing what you are supposed to do according to rules and regulations, claiming your kids, buying what you are supposed to buy, and serving what you are supposed to serve, it's not an issue at all."
Rose Smith Trinity Owner & Executive Director
"
"The food program has helped my center be able to make better food purchases and to eliminate highly processed food. The food program schedule keeps us consistent, and there is less fuss at meal times because the kids know when to expect it".
La Nita Gant Owner
"
"Having CACFP meals offered in our five after-school programs has provided a means of nutrition to many of our food-insecure students. Our after-school program students thoroughly enjoy sitting down around the table and enjoying their meals together".
Kristen McFarland Program Director
CACFP FAQs

The goal of the CACFP is to improve and maintain the health and nutrition of children and adults, promote development of good eating habits, and integrate nutritious food service with organized child and adult day care.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is federally funded by the USDA. The program reimburses qualifying organizations for serving nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults.

Yes! By participating in the CACFP, you’ll receive reimbursement for meals you are probably already serving to eligible children and elderly or disabled adults.

Reimbursement for CACFP participants is dependent upon a variety of factors, such as what type of facility is administering the CACFP, the income level of participants and the income level of the area.

The USDA establishes reimbursement rates annually for each meal and snacks that are served.

There are two levels of reimbursement. Tier 1 and Tier 2. CACFP pays a higher level (Tier 1) of reimbursement to low income areas, and to daycare participants and children most in need. At a minimum, a participant will receive Tier 2 rates.

Child Care Center/Home or adult day care center: May claim up to 2 meals and 1 snack OR 2 snacks and 1 meal per participant, per day.

ARAS: May claim up to 1 meal and 1 snack per child, per day.

Emergency Shelters: May claim up to 3 meals OR 2 meals and 1 snack per child, per day.

Learn more >

There are five meal components: Grain, Vegetable, Fruit, Meat/Meat Alternate and Fluid Milk. In order to be reimbursed, the meal or snack must contain the required components in their minimum amounts by age. Crediting Handbook for the CACFP.

Public or private non-profit organizations or eligible for-profit organizations:

▪️Licensed Child Care Centers

▪️Licensed Child Care Home

▪️Licensed Adult Care Centers

▪️At-Risk After-School Program

▪️Summer Food Service Program

▪️Out-of-School Time Program 

▪️Emergency Shelters 

▪️Head Start Program

Eligible children include:

  • Infants and children through age 12 in child care centers and day care homes.
  • Children of migrant workers are eligible through age 15.
  • In afterschool care centers and emergency shelters, children through age 18 are eligible.

Eligible adults include:

  • Those enrolled in adult day care and are at least 60 years of age or physically or mentally impaired.

There are two ways to participate in the CACFP:

Becoming a CACFP Sponsor

A CACFP Sponsor is an organization that provides administrative, financial, educational, and nutritional tools and support to help CACFP participants claim reimbursement for the meals and snacks that they serve through the CACFP. Contact State Agency.

Finding a CACFP Sponsor

Contact a CACFP Sponsor in your state. They will answer your questions and enroll you. Contact CACFP Sponsor.

Our different KidKare software solutions are designed to simplify claims processing and maximize reimbursements.

CACFP participants and sponsors will be able to catch errors that they could easily miss if they process claims by hand, freeing up their time to focus on more important things.

Learn more >

Get Help

Expenses

Adding Vendors

Quick Entry Receipt

Itemized Receipts

Record Attendance & Meal Counts

Daily Menu

Menu Production Records

Menu Templates

Grain Ounce Equivalents

Menu Calendar

Creating Infant Menus

Mark Infants as Fed

Record Attendance & Meal Counts

Meals & Attendance

Mark Infants as Fed

Detailed Meals & Attendance

Estimating Attendance

Enroll & Manage Children

Enroll a New Participant

Edit Child Information

Set Up Accounts

Site Details and Settings for Sponsored Centers

Creating Roles and Permissions

Creating Center Staff Logins

Staff Login

Reports

Infant Feeding Report

Milk Audit Report

Claim Manual Report

Claims

Claims Feature

Calculate Claims Button

Claims Errors

EOM Best Practices

Milk

Substitute Milk and Child Milk Allergies

Milk Audit

Purchase & Write Offs

Plan & Record Menus​

Daily Menu

Menu Production Records

Menu Templates

Menu Calendar

Grain Ounce Equivalents

Creating Infant Menus

Milk

Substitute Milk & Child Milk Allergies

Milk Audit

Purchases and Write Offs

Milk Audit Reports

Record Attendance & Meal Counts

Basics Meal & Attendance

Detailed Meal & Attendance

Estimating Attendance

Enroll & Manage Children​

Enroll Participant

Edit Child Information

Set Up Your Site

KidKare introduction tour.

Staff login for the first time.

How to access your account

You can access your account by following the steps below:

1. Go to the KidKare website by clicking the link below https://app.kidkare.com/#/login/ 

2. Click on “I need a new Password” in the bottom right as shown in the image below.

3. Enter your email address into the email field and then click on “Send Me” 

  • Note: The email address will be the one the state has provided us. Please use the email address on record with your state. If you no longer have access to this email address please email success@kidkare.com 

 4. This should send an email to the email address entered from KidKare Enrollment Portal with a link to reset your password. Click on the blue link 

5. Enter your new password into the fields below and click “Go” 

6. Now you can go back to the login page and login with your email as the username and your new password! 

Discover KidKare

Be able to schedule your demo with our team by filling out the form.

KidKare Food Program software is ideal for single-location childcare centers participating in CACFP that submit their claims directly to their state.

Tax Tips in just a few clicks

Get access to our KidKare Accounting video tutorials by filling out the form.

Expenses

Adding Vendors

Quick Entry Receipt

Itemized Receipts

Claim

Submit Claim Data to Sponsor

Get Trained

Reports

Review OER for Sponsors

Reports in CX

Roster

Roster Upload Explanation

Roster

Roster Upload Explanation

KidKare Accounting

KidKare Accounting is an all-in-one solution designed specifically for childcare providers, whether they participate in CACFP or not.

Start your free trial today by filling out the form below.

KidKare For Sponsors

Our CACFP sponsor software ensures compliance and maximizes CACFP reimbursements for your Sponsor organization and participants (sites and providers).

Watch our KidKare Food Program Software Demo

Be able to watch our demo by filling out the form.

Buy Now KidKare Food Program for Your Center

Ideal for single-location childcare centers participating in CACFP that submit their claims directly to their state.

Start your 14-day trial

KidKare Food Program software is ideal for single-location childcare centers participating in CACFP that submit their claims directly to their state.

Claims

List Claims & Track Received Claims

Submitting or Retrieving Claims from Sites

Submit Claims to State

Expenses

Vendors & Receipts

Set Up Your Account

Install Minute Menu CX

Install Minute Menu CX

Follow the instructions below to download and install Minute Menu CX. You can install Minute Menu CX on as

many computers you need. The same link provided in this article can also be used by centers to install their

version of the software. For system requirements, see System Requirements.

1. Click here to download Minute Menu CX.

2. Depending on your browser settings, the file downloads automatically, or you are prompted to save or run it.

  • If it downloads automatically, open the file when it finishes downloading to begin the installation process.

 

  • If prompted, click Run. Depending on your browser, this option may be Open, or you may need to check the Run From Its Current Location box and click OK. Once the download finishes, you may be prompted to run it again.

3. The installation wizard opens. Click Next and follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation. We strongly recommend that you install Minute Menu CX in the default location and that you do not change any of the options during installation.

4. Once the installation process is complete, click Finish. Minute Menu CX opens automatically, and you are prompted for your password.

5. Enter your user name and password. You should have received this information from Minute Menu or (centers) from your food program sponsor’s main office.

6. Click Login.

To access Minute Menu CX in the future, double-click  on your desktop. You are prompted for login information each time, unless you check the Remember Login and Password box when logging in.

Check Your Currently Installed Software Version

To see which version of Minute Menu CX is installed on your machine:

1. Open Minute Menu CX.

2. Click the Help menu and select About Minute Menu CX. The About Minute Menu CX dialog box opens. The version number displays at the top.

Upgrade Minute Menu CX

To upgrade Minute Menu CX:

1. Open Minute Menu CX.

2. Click the Administration menu and select Upgrade Software. The installation wizard opens.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the upgrade.  Note that you must upgrade CX on each individual machine on which it is installed.

Tools

Messages

School Calendar

Tools Menu

Milk

Milk Audit

Observer & Monitoring​

Monitoring Reviews

Observer Mode

Manage Children

Activate Children

Menus

Create and Manage Menu Templates

How to Build a Master Menu

Record Attendance & Meal Counts

Record Attendance and Meal Counts

Estimate Attendance

Sites

Welcome Letter to Sites

Enroll Sites

Add a Center

Set Up Your Account

Update Sponsor Info

It’s quick and easy to get started

Just enter your email address below and we’ll set up a free 30 day trial just for you.

We believe in the application so much, that we know you’ll love it.